VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #2805/01 3551812
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 211812Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6822
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 5813
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 5668
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1022
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ DEC MONTEVIDEO 6029
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0020
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 002805 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA FOR A/S SHANNON, DAS DUDDY, DMCCARTHY 
WHA/BSC FOR BARNES, FRIEDMAN, MOSS 
NEA/IR FOR HWOOSTER 
S/CT FOR VIRGINIA PALMER AND ARNOLD SIERRA 
NSC FOR JUAN ZARATE AND JOSE CARDENAS 
FBI FOR CTD IRAN-HIZBALLAH UNIT AND OIO AMERICAS UNIT 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2016 
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV KJUS AR FBI
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: STAFFDEL MEETING WITH MFA ON AMIA, 
TRI-BORDER; LATEST AMIA DEVELOPMENTS 
 
REF: BUENOS AIRES 2749 
 
Classified By: DCM Michael Matera for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY: On December 19 DCM, Emboffs, and visiting 
Staffdel members met with Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs 
Luis Cappagli to discuss the recent Interpol response to the 
AMIA case and tri-border issues.  Staffdel members underlined 
the importance of responding to INTERPOL Secretary General 
Nobel's invitation to meet with him in Lyon on December 22 to 
discuss the case and not to leave the field open to Iran. 
Cappagli said that Argentina would be asking for the meeting 
to be held on another date, perhaps in January 2007. 
Cappagli said the GoA was surprised that the red notices 
requested for the AMIA case were not approved and still does 
not know the purpose or the details of the proposed December 
22 meeting at Interpol Lyon.  Cappagli told DCM privately 
after the meeting that Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana and 
Interior Minister Anibal Fernandez would be meeting on the 
evening of December 19 to discuss the wording of the GoA's 
response to SG Nobel.  (Buenos Aires INTERPOL chief told 
Legatt on December 20 that Argentina would not attend the 
meeting and that they were seeking an alternative date.) 
Staffdel met earlier that day with AMIA prosecutors and 
expressed strong U.S. support for the case.  Cappagli said 
that the GoA is satisfied with the progress in the tri-border 
region and believes it is moving in the right direction with 
regard to cooperation and intelligence sharing.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (C)  On December 19 DCM, Legatt, poloff, and visiting 
HIRC Staff Director Mark Walker, HIRC Subcommittee on Western 
Hemisphere staffer Brian Wanko, and HIRC Investigative 
Counsel John Mackey met with Undersecretary of Foreign 
Affairs Luis Cappagli to discuss the recent Interpol response 
to the AMIA case.  Cappagli was accompanied by Ambassador 
Guillermo Gonzalez, MFA acting Director of Counterterrorism 
Gustavo Urrutia, and MFA North 
Americas Deputy Director Jose Ureta.  Staffdel members 
underlined the importance of responding to INTERPOL Secretary 
General Nobel's invitation to meet with him in Lyon on 
December 22 to discuss the case and not to leave the field 
open to Iran.  Mackey also praised the GoA for its tenacity 
in pursuing justice in the AMIA case, expressed the strong 
Congressional intrest in the case as well as his own 
impressions that the recently released prosecutors' report 
was much stronger and more convincing than the earlier report 
of Judge Galeano.  Cappagli said that Argentina would be 
asking for the meeting to be held on another date, perhaps in 
January 2007. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Cappagli said the GoA was surprised that the red 
notices requested for the AMIA case were not approved and 
still does not know the purpose or the details of the 
proposed December 22 meeting at Interpol Lyon.  Cappagli 
cautioned against using the word postponement when asking for 
the meeting's date to be changed to avoid implying that 
Interpol has any judicial power over the case.  He said the 
GoA is upset at the precedent that has been set by SG Nobel's 
request for a meeting. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Cappagli told DCM privately after the meeting that 
Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana and Interior Minister Anibal 
Fernandez would be meeting on the evening of December 19 to 
discuss the specific wording of the GoA's response to SG 
Nobel, although Cappagli did not know if this response would 
be oral or written.  He said the message would come from the 
Interior Ministry. 
 
¶5.  (C)  Cappagli and Urrutia commented briefly on the 
progress in the tri-border region of Argentina.  Both said 
the GoA is pleased with the positive progress that has been 
made in recent years.  Urrutia said he believes they are 
moving in the right direction and that the border controls 
 
between Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina are increasing. 
Mackey noted the Staffdel had just visited the tri-border 
region and was impressed with the progress that had been 
made, though much remains to be done. 
 
¶6.  (C)  Staffdel, accompanied by Emboffs, also met December 
19 with AMIA prosecutors Alberto Nisman and Marcelo Martinez 
Burgos to discuss the AMIA case.  Nisman briefed Staffdel on 
details of the case and the indictments.  Mackey expressed 
strong U.S. support and interest in the case.  He urged the 
prosecutors and the GoA to be proactive in their dealings 
with Interpol. 
 
¶7.  (C)  On December 20, Alejandro DiNizo, chief of INTERPOL 
Buenos Aires advised Embassy Legatt that earlier in the 
morning INTERPOL Buenos Aires sent a message to INTERPOL Lyon 
advising that Argentina would not attend the meeting convoked 
by SG Noble for December 22.  DiNizo advised that alternate 
dates were being discussed with Lyon. 
WAYNE